Motion transmitting remote control assembly

ABSTRACT

A MOTION TRANSMITTING REMOTE CONTROL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A FLEXIBLE CONDUIT WITH FITTINGS DISPOSED AT EACH END AND MOVABLY SUPPORTING A WIRE-LKE CORE ELEMENT. THE CORE ELEMENT INCLUDES AN ANCHOR MEANS COMPRISING A METAL SLUG OR A BENT END PORTION WHICH IS SNAPPED INTO   ENGAGEMENT WITH AND RETAINED IN A SNAP-IN RECEIVING PORTION OF A PLASTIC TERMINAL MEANS WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO A CONTROL MEMBER.

' March 16,1971 w. B. CONRAD 3,570,324

' MOTION TRANSMITTING REMOTE CONTROL ASSEMBLY Filed May 25, 1969 l N VLZN TOR.

TTOFZNEYS United States Patent 3,570,324 MOTION TRANSMITTING REMOTE 'CONTROL ASSEMBLY Winthrop B. Conrad, Franklin, Mich., assignor to Teleflex Incorporated, North Wales, Pa. Filed May 23, 1969, Ser. No. 827,409 Int. Cl. F16c 1/14 US. Cl. 74-501 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A motion transmitting remote control assembly including a flexible conduit with fittings disposed at each end and movably supporting a wire-like core element. The core element includes an anchor means comprising a metal slug or a bent end portion which is snapped into engagement with and retained in a snap-in receiving portion of a plastic terminal means which is adapted to be attached to a control member.

This invention relates to a motion transmitting remote control assembly of the type which is normally used to transmit motion in a curved path by a flexible motion transmitting core element slidably supported in a conduit.

A continuing problem exists in developing terminal means disposed on the end of the core element and adapted to be attached to a control member to satisfy various different environmental needs and to continually upgrade the remote control assembly product in its operation, function, useful life and cost. One such terminal means is disclosed in US. Pat. 3,424,027, which is assigned to the assignee of the instant invention. In this patent there is disclosed a terminal means comprising an elongated member in which the core element is disposed with the elongated member having an enlarged head portion and rotatably supported in a pocket between two additional members which are organic polymeric material sonic welded together, the latter two members being adapted for attachment to a control member. The instant invention is an improvement over this assembly because it is less expensive to manufacture and increases the force necessary to separate the core element from the terminal means between five and eight (8) times as compared to the force required in the assembly of US Pat. 3,424,- 027. Another US. Pat. 3,426,613, which is an invention of the instant applicant and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention, discloses a terminal means of plastic or organic polymeric material secured to the end of the core element but the instant invention eliminates the requirement in the assembly of US. Pat. 3,424,613 of molding the terminal means about the core element and/ or providing loops in the end of the core element and provides an alternative terminal means which is more satisfactory in certain operating environments. U.S. Pats. 3,164,054, 3,231,300, and 3,253,480 relates to analogous assemblies but are not pertinent because they are concerned with bushings which surround a motion transmitting member so as to be disposed between the motion transmitting member and an opening in a control memice her through which the motion transmitting member extends.

Accordingly, it is an object and feature of this invention to provide a motion transmitting remote control assembly including a guide movably supporting a core element with a terminal means of organic polymeric material including a snap-in receiving means for retaining the core element and for allowing the core element to have been snapped thereinto and attachment means spaced from the end of the core element and from the snap-in receiving means for attachment to a control memher.

In correlation with the foregoing object and feature, it is another object andfeature of this invention to provide an assembly wherein the core element includes an elongated wire-like main section and anchor means adjacent the end thereof which extends radially from the main section and wherein the snap-in receiving means of the terminal means has an elongated slot into which the wirelike section of the core element is snapped and retained and an enlarged opening adjacent to the slot in which the anchor means is disposed.

Other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the remote control assembly of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken substantially along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the terminal means illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing an alternative embodiment of the instant invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along line 77 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along 8-8 of FIG. 7.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate the like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a motion transmitting remote control assembly constructed in accordance with the instant invention is generally shown at 10. The motion transmitting remote control assembly 10 comprises a guide generally indicated at 12, a motion transmitting core element generally indicated at 14, and a terminal means generally indicated at 16.

The guide 12 includes a flexible conduit 18 and fittings 20 and 22 attached to each end thereof. The conduit 18 preferably of the type having an inner tubular member of organic polymeric material surrounded by a plurality of wires disposed helically thereabout on a long lay with a casing of organic polymeric material disposed about the long lay wires and the inner tubular member. The fittings 20 and 22 are also preferably of an organic polymeric material molded about the end of the conduit 18 and adapted for attachment to a support structure. A manually graspable knob 24 and a slider bar 26 are secured to one end of the core element with the slider bar 26 slidably disposed in the fitting 22.

The core element 14 includes an elongated main section defined by a wire-like member 30 and anchor means defined by the metal slug 32 adjacent a first end of the core element. The metal slug 32 is swaged to the wirelike member 30 and extends radially from the wire-like main section 30. The slug 32 has a circular periphery.

The terminal means 16 is made of plastic or organic polymeric material and is adapted for attaching the first end of the core element to a control member, as illustrated a member to be moved upon manual movement of the knob 24. The terminal means 16 includes a snapin receiving means generally indicated at 40 retaining the core element and for allowing the core element to have been snapped thereinto. The terminal means 16 also includes attachment means as defined by the hole 42 which is spaced from the first end of the core element and from the snap-in receiving means 40 for attachment to a control member.

The snap-in receiving means 40 includes an elongated slot 44 into which the main wire-like section 30 of the core element is snapped and retained for limiting relative movement between the terminal means 16 and the core element in a direction radially of the longitudinal axis of the core element. The snap-in receiving means 40 also includes an enlarged opening 46 adjacent to the slot 44 and in which the slug 32 is disposed for limiting relative movement between the terminal means 16 and the core element in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the core element.

The elongated slot 44 extends into the terminal means with a cross section having a first portion which is V- shaped and decreases to a first dimension which is smaller than the dimension of the main wire-like section of the core element in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the core element. The first V-shaped portion of the slot is followed by a second portion which is generally circular and increases to a second dimension which is larger than the transverse dimension of the main wirelike section of the core element. V-shaped portion of the slot is open at the bottom so as to open into the circular portion and the wire-like member 30 is circular in cross section and is disposed in the circular section of the slot 44. In assembling the terminal means 16 to the core element, the terminal means 16 is disposed laterally adjacent to the core element with the slug 32 above the enlarged opening 46 and the wire-like member 30 disposed in the V-shaped portion of the slot 44. The terminal means 16 and the core element are then forced together to spread or move apart the opposite walls of the V-shaped portion of the slot 44 so that the wirelike member 30 moves into the bottom or circular portion of the slot 44 and is retained therein. It has been found that an extremely large force is necessary to separate the core element from the terminal means once they are assembled.

The hole 42 extends through the terminal means 16 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the core element and the terminal means 16 is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the core element. Additionally, the hole 42 is spaced from the metal slug 32 in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the core element.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 through 8 is indicated by the referenced numerals 16 and may be described in the same manner as the previously described embodiment except for the anchor means comprising a radially bent portion 32 of the wire-like member 30 and the accommodating enlarged opening 46' in the terminal means. In other words, in the embodiment of FIGS. 6 through 8, the anchor means comprises a bent end portion of the wire-like member 30 instead of the metal slug 32. Additionally, the enlarged opening 46' is configured so as to be engageable with the bent portion 32 to limit rotation of the terminal means 16' about the longitudinal axis of the core element.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A motion transmitting remote control assembly comprising; a guide, a motion transmitting core element having first and second ends and movably supported by said guide, and terminal means of organic polymeric material for attaching said first end of said core element to a control member, said terminal means including snapin receiving means retaining said core element and for allowing said core element to have been snapped thereinto, said terminal means including attachment means spaced from said first end of said core element and from said snap-in receiving means for attachment to a control member, said core element includes an elongated main section and anchor means adjacent said first end thereof which extends radially from said main section.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said snap-in receiving means of said terminal means includes an elongated slot into which said main section of said core element is snapped and retained for limiting relative movement between said terminal means and said core element in a direction radially of the longitudinal axis of said core element and an enlarged opening adjacent to said slot in which said anchor means is disposed for limiting relative movement between said terminal means and said core element in a direction along the longitudinal axis of said core element.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said elongated slot extends into said terminal means with a cross section having a first portion which decreases to a first dimension which is smaller than the dimension of said main section of said core element in a direction transverse to said longitudinal axis of said core element followed by a second portion which increases to a second dimension larger than said dimension of said main section of said core element.

-4. An assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said main section of said core element is a wire-like member of circular cross section and said first portion of said slot is generally V-shaped with the bottom of the V- shaped opening into said second portion which is generally circular.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said attachment means is defined by a hole extending through said terminal means in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of said core element.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said anchoring means comprises a slug attached to said wirelike member.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said slug is of metal and is swaged into attaching engagement with said wire-like member.

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said slug is circular and said terminal means is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of said core element.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said attachment means is defined by a hole extending through said terminal means in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of said core element and spaced from said slug in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said core element.

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said guide includes a flexible conduit and a fitting attached to each end thereof, said core element extending from the opposite ends of said conduit.

11. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said anchoring means comprises a radially bent portion of said wire-like member.

12. An assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said enlarged opening in said terminal means is engageable with said bent portion of said wire-like member to to each end thereof, said core element extending from limit rotation of said terminal means about the longithe opposite ends of said conduit. tudinal axis of said core element.

13. An assembly as set forth in claim 12 Wherein said References Clted attachment means is defined by a hole extending through 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS said terminal means in a direction transverse to the lon- 2,179,582 11/1939 Wiley 28793 gitudinal axis of said core element and spaced from 3,398,600 8/1968 White et a1 74-501 said bent portion in the direction of the longitudinal axis of Said core element MILTON KAUFMAN, Pr1mary Examiner 14. An assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said 10 U s CL X R guide includes a flexible conduit and a fitting attached 287 93 

